


Snapshot In Time

by Bluejaytxt



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, Gen, Male My Unit | Kamui | Corrin, character exploration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 03:08:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13262355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluejaytxt/pseuds/Bluejaytxt
Summary: Rating, warnings, and tags subject to change.He doesn't consider himself innocent nor ignorant, but isolated is one thing he would list off first when asked to describe himself. Given his situation, he rarely has the chance.





	Snapshot In Time

**Author's Note:**

> My friend has been writing a Nohr Takumi Au (psst: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12751611/chapters/29088012) which has inspired me to write something fates related. I focused on Corrin because although they're the player character, I was still disappointed in them as a character. At the moment this is just a character exploration/study of Corrin and the relationships he has in the Northern Fortress. I may continue this but for now it's just a one off. It's not very long but I hope you enjoy!

The Northern Fortress was cold but he had company. Felicia was near his age, if only a slight bit older, and a great companion. Flora wasn’t as close to him but she was still kind. Jakob was prickly but loyal, and Corrin had to admit he was nice to observe. Sometimes he found himself thinking of Jakob when he found himself alone, but to his dismay the man was unattainable in both status difference and tastes. Corrin was clumsy and forgetful, while Jakob was neat and uptight. 

 

Gunther was a part of the Northern Fortress’ many faces, but mostly as a watchful eye rather than a servant or a friend. He wasn’t so bad to observe either, although much older than him. He was unattainable in that way, but he knew in passing that Gunther had a family somewhere, perhaps dead in the war or squirreled away far from it’s reaches. It was a shame, Corrin couldn’t help but think most days, that there weren’t more men his age to befriend and perhaps take companionship in. 

 

Lilith was similar to Felicia, close in age to him and almost as bubbly, although she did not ask for his lesson notes to study from. She had a way with animals though, making her a huge help as he studied with mounted combat. Horses still gave him a lick of trouble, but to his surprise and everyone else's, battle on a wyvern came easy to him. Lilith, if she was surprised, did not show it. Perhaps she simply knew, as she knew many things about the natural world and its inhabitants. 

 

Now, while those he lived with consistently were not many, he had guests. Xander, his eldest brother, being one of his favorites. Sparing with him brings an enjoyment sparing with Jakob or Felicia doesn’t. He knows them quite well, having lived with them for so long in such close quarters. Xander he sees the most infrequently, and whenever he does Corrin makes a point to spar with him. His brother was getting older though, not losing himself to age but a man nearing his late thirties was sure to show it. Corrin found himself a good ten years younger, although still struggling to keep up with Xander when sparing. 

 

Camilla wasn’t that much older than him, the gap between them considerable but far smaller than that between him and his eldest brother. When she visited, which was much more frequently, she always brought him gifts of some kind. A new waistcoat, or a new sword to play with. When she learned of his proficiency with wyverns, she was overjoyed and on her next visit brought riding gear suited for aerial battle. He thought he looked good in riding gear, Felicia thought he looked silly. Then again, Corrin knew of her tastes and knew well he was far from them, especially considering how she looked at Camilla and said she looked lovely in her riding gear. 

 

Leo visited when Elise did, even though they were only a year apart in age they weren’t the closest. Corrin wasn’t the intellectual type but Leo was. Corrin was action then thought, Leo was the reverse. Leo was one year his junior and seemingly hated every time it was mentioned. He hated being his little brother, or at the least, Corrin assumed that to be the case. It didn’t matter much in his eyes, he had no stake in Nohr’s royal lineage, clearly not a product of Garon nor raised along with the four siblings crowned as royalty. There were more, plenty, but Garon picked those who resembled him most and who’s mothers he liked more. Flora told him that was the case, at least. 

 

Elise was a bundle of joy, newly of age but still bubbly and ever the optimist. If the path of the war was left in her hands, she would opt to hug every Hoshidan soldier, to make daisy chains and offer kindness. Corrin wished everyone thought like her, for then there wouldn’t be a war in the first place. Sadly, the world was a jaded place, and Nohr was in need of what Hoshido had, luck and farmland. Nohr was starving, and no amount of hugs and daisy chains would fill the stomachs of the masses. 

 

He was educated on issues plaguing his home, although barred from leaving the fortress he knew of the proceedings of the war. Leo would make the occasional remark, Xander would tell him about battles he’s waged, Camilla would give cautionary tales to aid him in his wyvern training. Elise was almost as removed from the war as he was, although she got to live in the capital and see the damages the war had on their people more than he did. In ways he was jealous, but perhaps being withdrawn had its perks. He was still alive, after all. 

 

Secretly though, he wanted to leave. He’d seen Leo’s retainers briefly, catching himself unable to turn away. He’d talked to Xander’s briefly, hearing them tell stories of war and tragedies they had seen. He wanted to see more of them all, alongside Elise and Camilla’s retainers. It would mean more people to talk to, hopefully, and leaving is the only way he’d get to see them for more than just passing moments. Access to him seemed so limited, only pushing his desire to leave. 

 

Later, he tells Lilith of his desires, drawn to her in a way he knew was not of attraction but similarity. They had been mistaken as siblings by others upon first meeting, and she almost felt like one sometimes. She was always there to lend an ear, and Corrin needed the second opinion now more than ever.

 

“I want to leave,” He says, eyes trained at the hay covered ground, “I’m not a child, nor am I newley of age and immature. I’m nearing my twenty sixth now, and yet Elise gets more freedoms than I.” 

 

“She’s a princess, she’s guarded and protected all the same.” Lilith counters, brushing out the mane of a horse as they converse. “She may not be as hidden, but still guarded.” 

 

“And yet she still has freedom. What use does keeping me hidden serve? I am not an heir nor one of Garon’s own,” He stares Lilith down as she opens her mouth to protest, “I am not a fool, I look nothing like any of my siblings. Perhaps I resemble Camilla only in that we have hair of odd color and scars on our faces. One of those is clearly a coincidence, the other is simply a similarity and nothing more.”

 

“Perhaps, but they still call you their brother.” She abandons her work so lean against the wall beside him, an inch or so shorter but of similar build and wearing the same tired expression he did. “They love you like one, Corrin. Just… wait it out till Xander becomes King. Then he’ll bring you to Windmire.” 

 

“Windmire is not enough, I want to go everywhere. There’s a world out there I’m not allowed to be a part of, Lilith. There may be a war but I can defend myself, you’ve seen me spar with Xander-” 

 

“And you can’t keep up with him.” Lilith sighs, glancing over to Corrin with a slight frown on her face, “You never spar with Camilla, you claim she’d go easy on you,” She’s interrupted with a slight pout and whine from Corrin, “And you don’t spar with Leo because you don’t talk much with him. Elise doesn’t fight and you refuse to make her. My only point of comparison outside the royal family is us here, and while you can best us, we aren’t soldiers. We’re servants.” 

 

Corrin keeps his eyes on the ground, studying his shoes as if Lilith would stop making good points if he pretended his shoes were more interesting. “... I can ask Xander for a test, if I can prove to him that I am worthy as a swordsman then will you support me in my will to leave?”

 

“... Yes, although I want you to train in more than just swordsmanship… Keeping a dagger on hand is helpful. A trick Flora taught me in our spare time was to keep one tucked up your sleeve or hidden carefully but easily reached, and amidst a battle with swords to pull it out quickly and with confidence and hopeful good aim, surprise your target.”

 

“I’ll keep it in mind, perhaps to outsmart my brother or perhaps to save my skin. Although, Lilith, when did you start talking to Flora enough for her to start telling you stuff like that? She at most says hello to me and tells me to hurry up at whatever I’m doing.” 

 

“...Well, Corrin, I’m much better with ladies then you.” Lilith can’t help but smile, almost letting out a laugh as she speaks. 

 

“And I’m much better with men, although none here let me get as close to them as you seem to be getting to Flora.” There’s a teasing tone in his voice, turning to look at Lilith with a smile of his own. “Really, how on earth did you befriend her?” 

 

“We spar sometimes for fun, and since we both are fairly quiet compared to the other’s here, we bonded well. She helps me braid my hair and… She says one day she’s going to take me away from here back to her true home with the Ice Tribe. I think… perhaps we are more than friends now.” 

 

“I envy you, you know? You found someone who makes you smile like that while my options are old man Gunther and Jakob. Not to say they aren’t nice to look at, they aren’t much my type after that.” Corrin thinks back to the retainers of his siblings, those he’s talked to and those seen only in passing. “Now, my siblings retainers… if I saw them more when visiting then perhaps I wouldn’t be so jealous of you. Some of them do provide something nice to look at. Maybe friendship or more if I got more than a few minutes to talk, or even more than a passing glance in some cases. I think Leo told his to avoid me!” 

 

“He doesn’t hate you as much as you think, he’s just not that confident and because of your similar age he thinks of you as some kind of competition, or at least that’s what I think.” Lilith stands and takes a few paces from the wall, looking through the lantern lit stables. “I think we should retire for the night, if I may offer yet another opinion of mine.” 

 

“And I,” Corrin yawns, “Second that.” 

 

They blow out the lanterns on the way out, Lilith keeping one to carry on the walk back. The moon is high but provides little light, as Nohr is eternally covered in a shade of darkness during all hours. Corrin had heard stories of Hoshido, a land full of light, but they were greedy. They did not share any of their fortune, and they made sure Nohr would never get to see it. At least, Xander told him that. Xander also told him he wished for a diplomatic route, but it seemed impossible. 

  
No matter, as he entered the fortress with Lilith and parted ways, he decided he was done thinking for the night. Sleep would soon take over and he could think over the night’s discussion more with a fully rested mind. 


End file.
